MIDDLETOWN — Deny, deny, deny.
In the end, that was the game Middletown clung to in the second half to defeat North Central League I North leader Fort Bragg 61-51 in Middletown on Tuesday night, a victory that launches the Mustangs into the thick of the league race.
The Mustang defensive strategy worked out at halftime was the difference in a frenetic showdown in which the lead changed hands five times.
The strategy was to shut down Fort Bragg”s outside shooting game. It worked to perfection in the fourth quarter, which the Mustangs entered trailing 44-42.
“The kids stuck to the plan and they just kept excecuting it,” said Middletown coach G.J. Rockwell. “It was to rotate on top of those 3-point shooters. The thing with those guys (Timberwolves) is they”ve got good 3-point shooters and when they get in the rhythm you can get in trouble. But Luke Humphrey and Bo Sheffler just gotta rotate with that ball and get a hand out there.”
Humphrey and Sheffer performed their role so well that Fort Bragg had only one 3-pointer in the second half. More important, the Mustangs, as a team, performed to such a degree that they outscored the T”wolves 19-7 in the final quarter and 29-13 for the half.
But the accolades go to Middletown”s John-Wesley Davis, who was the game”s high scorer with 20 points, 14 in the second half. Davis, matching his season high, was a force in every aspect of the game.
“Tell you what,” said Rockwell. “He was huge rebounding the offensive boards, foul shots, making his shots (Davis was 5-for-5 from the floor in the second half), the whole thing. He”s played a lot of good games , but he stepped up big when we needed him.”
Fort Bragg coach Tim Anderson seconded Rockwell”s assessment from his side of the court.
“Both teams played well, but they had more shots down the stretch than we did,” he said. “We got into an offensive lapse in the fourth and they got offenvise rebounds.”
There was nothing through a back-and-forth first three quarters hinting at the Mustang takeover in the final period. Both teams had their good and bad stretches. Middletown was in arears 13-7 before a 10-0 run led to a 22-17 first-quarter lead.
But then with a 30-26 edge the Mustangs suddenly lost track of the basket, going 0-for-9 from the floor as Fort Bragg pushed in front 38-32 by halftime.
Then, it was the T”wovles who had difficulty finding the range. They failed to convert a field goal until their their sharpshooting point guard Cody Ryden buried his fourth 3-pointer with only 71 seconds left in the third period.
Ryden, who had 18 points after three quarters, was neutralized in the final period.
Davis scored on a putback with 4:52 remaining to knot the score at 48. Moments later, Sheffer scored on another putback to give Middletown a 50-48 lead, a lead they never relinquished.
Middletown improved to 3-2 in the North standings and trails both Fort Bragg (4-2) and Kelseyville (4-2) by a half-game. Middletown, now 14-9 overall, hosts Kelseyville on Friday night in another North showdown. The Knights are 16-7 overall
“Like I said before, it”s one game at a time,” said Rockwell. “We got Kelseyville in a tough game here on Friday. We”re not looking ahead. We”ll enjoy this tonight, but then it”s back to work.”
Sheffer had 13 points for the Mustangs. Nick Dellia added eight and Luke Humphrey seven.
Notes: Fort Bragg beat Middletown 71-68 in double-overtime on Jan. 21 in Fort Bragg ? Middletown”s only other league loss also was of the overtime variety, 63-59 at Lower Lake ? Kelseyville and Fort Bragg close out league play and regular season with a Feb. 18 game in Fort Bragg ? Davis finished with 10 rebounds to complete his double-double against the Timberwolves ? Jake Anderson had eight rebounds and three blocks.
